Flying-machine with revolving wings



A. BEUBRIER, E. BIGORDAN NE i: MSDN.

'LYiNG MACHiNE WTH REIOUHNG WINGS, .wPucAms min M1124. 19:7.

LSBZ. y Patented Aug, 24, 192@ BH1 L IN VENTQRS ALEXIS BURRIER EDOUARD lcowwAN Lows Aca/N A.BEURR|ER,E.BIGOUHDAN AND L.LACOIN. FLYING MACHINE WITH REvoLvINe wINGs c APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1.9!?. nII.,350,982.

APatented Aug. 24, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEE 2.

INVENTOR Bry wuts/u1u! ATTORNEY A. BEURRIER, E. BIGGIUHDAN AND L. I CFI FLYING MACHINE WITH REVOLVING WINGS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.24. 1911.

1 350, 982. Pa-@m 24, 1920.

INVENTUM ALEXIS BEoRR/ER EoouMo Bmw/epm E) LOUAS LAGO/N ykUdm A 177mm; v

. ALEXIS BEURRIER, EDOUARD BIGoUnDAN, AND LoUIs LAcoIN, or mms, FRANCE.'-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ILYINGf-MAGHINE WITH REvoLvING WINGS.

- Volving wings.

This improved flying machine with revolving Wings has generally the form of an aeroplane with the difference however that the vertical screw propeller of the aeroplane is replaced by two large screw propellers which are approximately horizontal.

The manner in which this invention is to be performed will now be more particularly elevation and a plan of an improved flying vso described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a practical construction of apparatus according to this invention.

1n these drawings Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front a landing carriage 2 and Wheels 3, and aft.-

i 5ov with a horizontal rudder 4, a steering rudder 5 and a skid 6. This fuselage carries likewise the engine 7 and the seats 8 and 9 for the pilot and the' passenger respectively.

The vital difference existing between this apparatus and an ordinary monoplane, consists in the fact that the wings or planes of the monoplane are replaced by two screw propellers l0 and 11 having very wide vanes.- The vsaid apparatus may also be constructed according to the type having the -rudders in the front and the main set of wings-,here the two screw propellers-in therear. The screw propellers might likewise be placed monoplanes.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 24, 1920. Application med Marcil 24,

1917. Serial No. 157,236.

midway in the length of the fuselage or body withrudders either at one end or at both ends of the bodyor frame. i

In order/to provide-the necessary inherent transverse stability, the axles 12 and 13 of these screw propellers are inclined toward each other in such a manner that the screw propellers form together "a dihedral angle, as do also for the same purpose the two planes of the main set of wings of most moreover, situated at the same height as an ordinary set of Wings and constitute revolv- Ing wings.l

They are driven for instance by the engine 7 which drives bevel gear 14,` one of the pinions` of which is mounted on a transverse shaft 15 comprising two Cardan couplings l16 and 17 which drive respectively the shafts 40 and 41 that drive respectively two other bevel gears 18 and 19 arrangedat the upper parts of the hubs of the screw propellers 10 and l1.. These are supported at-their lower parts by a transverse beam 34 bearing upon the landing carriage 2.

Each of the screw propellers may have any number of vanes of any shape but is advantageously formed with four vanes capable of assuming various inclinations about their axes, in such a manner as to vary the inclination between' the two vanes, this variance differing with different apparatuses.

The control of the inclination of the vanes is preferabl effected by means of rocking beams 2O at the lower parts of the screw propeller shafts and which may be equal to the number kof the vanesor less than this-number. Each rocking beam actuates the shrouds 21, 22, 23, 24 fixed to four points of each driven vane, and carries a roller 25 rolling in the These scr'ew propellers are,

igs. 5, 6 and 7 arrangedv annular groove of a collar 26 arranged around and at the lower part of the axle of each propeller.4

When the general plane of this collar 26 is at right angles to the axis of rotation of the screw propeller, the inclination of the screw propellers which are produced axis of rotation within limits, by means of connecting rods 32, levers 33A (Fig. 5) and rods 29 which he actuates by means of the hand wheel 31 and the spindle 3() -acting upon the ball-jointed connecting rodsl 27 and levers 28. In this manner the inclination of each vane passes through a series of values capable of varying from a minimum situated at a certain point of the rotation up to a maximum situated at the opposite point. The result of this is that the traction of the screw propeller is decentralized and as this action is ,produced simultaneously upon the two screw propellers, the result is that the center of support may at the will of the pilot, be shifted toward the right or toward the left, forward or aft, or in any intermediate direction. The pilot is thus able to reestablish a loss of equalibrium or lto modify in any way the position or stability of his apparatus in the air.

This control replaces that of the auxiliary planes and of the stabilizer in aeroplanes, and moreover allows by inclining the axis of the entire machine toward one side or the other of causing the said ignachine to slide toward the side on which it has been inclined.

In particular, for forward travel ,the machine is inclined forward. The traction of the screw propellers has then a horizontal component which pulls the apparatus toward that side'. The rudders provided aft of the .fuselage then operate as in an aeroplane.

If on the contrary the machine is inclined aft, a braking action is produced and the apparatus can then cease to advance and it can hover. It can also rise or descend vertically, rise od the ground or alight thereon, owing to the variations by means of the hand wheel 31 mounted on the upper end of the spindle 30. This hand wheel in turning, screws or unscrews the spindle in a-nut 42 which is carried by the Cardan coupling 43'. This causes an upward or a downward movement of the crosshead 44 which through the connecting rods 27 and the levers 28,'actuates the rods 29 which act through the bell crank levers 33 upon the rods 32 that operate the collar 26 (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6.)

In particular,- in the case of a break down of .the engine, the vanes being set flat, become then simple supporting surfaces like the wings of a'monoplane. Their area may even be greater than that of the said wings in order to compensate for the inferiority `due to their shape which is slightly less favorable for supporting than .the shape of a single elongated rectangle. The machine will therefore descend by planing down,

and owing to its rudders, it can land at the best accessible point chosen by the pilot.

of the vpitch of theV the propellers, the varies may be inclined v in the direction opposite to their ascent inclination and they may then continue to revolve in their usual direction, but, being braked either by the engine or by a special brake, they will-slow the descent.

In certain cases it will be an advantage to mount the two screw propellers on one and the same axis about which they will revolve in opposite directions. One of these screw propellers can then'be provided with this device for affording stability and safety. In this arrangement there will only be one collar supported at three points. It will therefore be able to assume an inclination 1n any direction on being controlled by the hand wheel spindle whose crosshead will then have likewise three arms. The inclinathey may be, will have a tendency to incline the `common axis of the two screw pro-- pellers in the same way. The hand wheel wlll control the pitch of the screw propeller acted upon by the collar, and can in case of necessity, do away with all inclination. This screw propeller must have a large area 1n order to be able to support the machine while itis planing down.

For other uses, and in particular for aerobuses, it will be necessary to mount four screw propellers at the apex of a rectangle or of a trapeze. The same mechanism for providing. stability and security v`'is also applicable but without it being absolutely necessary to make the collars capable of being inclined. Each of these collars will then need only to move up and down parallel to itself along the axle, The changes of pitch willv then affect the entire screw pro eller and not each vane independently.

aving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention, and-in what manner the' same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is l. The combination with a flying machine having revolving wings in theform of screw propellers mounted on separate axes, of a controlling apparatus comprising a member which is non-rotatable relatively to the propeller shaft but capable of inclination relainclination of the vanes and rotating there- 13o with one end of said lever engaging in said non-rotatable member, connecting members between said lever and said vanes, and means for actuating said non-rotatable member so that its movements in inclination ,to the propeller shaft and its movements parallel thereto, may be effected either simultaneously or separately.

, replacing the wings of a monoplane as re-` gards position and area, and therefore a1- lowing either of slowing the descent or, when set fiat, of enabling the machine to plane down in the case of stoppage of the engine, such propellers having their vanes controlled individually in s uch a manner as to provide the necessary stability in every direction and in every position whereby the axis of the machine sired.

In witness whereof we have hereuntoset our hands in presence of two witnesses.

ALXIS BEURRIER. EDOUARD BIGOURDAN. LOUIS LACOIN. Witnesses:

JULES FAYOILET, CHAS. P. PREssLY.

may be inclined as de-V 

